Tube-bending machine.



PAIBNTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

R. NAYSMITH.

TUE BINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED snPI.Iz.19oe.

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""IH lll mill No. 866,505. I PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

l R. NAYSMITH.

TUBE BENDING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED sfsPT. 12, 190s.

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UNITED STATES TUBE-BENDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1'7, 1907.

Application filed September l2. 1906. Serial No. 334.279.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT NAYsMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county oi Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Bending Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. f

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bending machines particularly designed for bending tubes or pipes.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive tube bending machine wherein positive and reliable means are employed for operating the same.

The invention aims to provide a bender oi a novel type for bending tubes or pipes of various sizes. In this connection, the bender is employed for making butt or welded joint tubing, such as used in the manufacture of iron bedsteads and similar articles. To this end, I have devised a bender particularly adapted for bending Y which,-

tubes manufactured by a cold process.

My invention relates particularly to the process of making tubing, as disclosed in Patent No. 724,426, patented April 7, 1903. In this patent a cold process of making tubing is disclosed, wherein a novel forming machine and bender are employed for producing tubing having a butt or welded-joint.

Briefly described, the process consists of passing a strip of sheet-metal between rolls to form a horseshoeshaped strip which is passed between two more rolls of the forming machine, to bend the vertical portions of the strips inwardly whereby their edges will abut.

In the above mentioned patent a bender is illustrated whereby the tubing, as it is shaped in the forming machine, may be bent into a cylindrical form. The device disclosed in said patent, is cumbersome, expensive to manufacture and maintain in use, and it is the object of this invention to provide a simple and novel bender which will accomplish the same results as in the Patent No. 724,426, more expeditiously, at the same time producing a tubing of superior quality.

With the above, and other objects in view which will more' readily appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing forming part of this specification; like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the y several views, in

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of my improved bender, Fig. 2 a plan of the same, Fig. 3 a cross sectional view taken on line :v -x, Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inner exchangeable die stantially circular.

used in connection with the bender, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a block used in connection with the die for temporarily holding the end of a tube, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation of a modified form ofcarriage applicable to my improved bender, Fig. 7 is a detailed' perspective view of a belt shifting mechanism used in connection with the bender, and, Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional view of a tubing before and after being treated by the bender.

My improved bender is constructed of strong and durable metal, and may be of any desired length, whereby pieces of tubing of a considerable length can be bent by my improved machine. The bender consists of four distinct parts, viz;a bed 1, a carriage 2, adapted to travel upon said bed, a carriage-moving mechanism 3, and a belt shifting mechanism 4; these parts being assembled to produce a simple and easily manipulated bender free from danger of injury by ordinary use.

The bed 1 comprises two channel-shape beams 5, said beams being arranged parallel one to the other to `form a central channel 6; the ends of the beams 5 are supported by frames 7 and 8, the frame 7 constituting the forward end of the machine, while the frame 8 constitutes the rear end thereof. The beams 5, intermediate the frames 7 and 8, are supported by pedestals 9. Upon the beams 5 5 is supported the body 10 of the bed, said body being provided with a depending portion 11 adapted to t between the beams 5-5. The sides of the body are cut away to provide guide-ways 12, while the top of the body is provided with a longitudinally disposed rectangular groove 14, to accommodate a changeable die 15. The die 15 is approximately the same length as the bed 1 of the machine, and is provided with longitudinally disposed grooves 16, a groove being formed in each side of the die, the radius of the grooves varying, whereby different sizes of tubes can be bent upon the machine. the die 15 within the groove 14 and prevent the same from slipping, a locking-pin 17 is inserted in one of the grooves 16 to'serve functionally as a wedge.

The carriage 2 is slidably mounted upon the guideways 12 of the bed 1, said carriage consisting of two parts 18 which are connected'together by a housing 19, and guard-straps 20, said straps being arranged upon each side of the housing. In the housing 19 is mounted an adjustable bearing 21, having journaled therein a roller 22, which is provided with a peripheral groove 23, the pass between said roller and the die 15 being sub- The adjustable bearing 21 is adjusted by a conventional form of screw 24, mounted in the housing 19. The parts 18 of the carriage 2 are provided with depending channel-bars 25, through the medium of which the carriage moving mechanism operates the carriage upon the bed l.

The carriage moving mechanism 3 consists of a shaft 26 mounted for rotation on the rear frame 8 and adapted to be driven in any suitable manner, and provided with a central gear wheel 27, and with sprocket wheels at the ends. Journaled upon the forward frame 7 of the machine is a shaft 29 having sprocket-wheels 30. Adapted to travel over the sprocket-wheels 28 and 30 are two sprocket-chains 3l, these chains traveling back and forth along the sides of the bed 1, according to the direction in which th carriage 2 is to be moved. The chains 31 are secured upon the lower flanges of the channel bars 25 of the carriage 2, as ,at 32, and to prevent the carriage from being jarred in operation, I interpose coiled springs 33 within the chains 31, and provide said chains with turn-buckles 34, whereby the tension of the chains can be adjusted at any desired time. The coiled springs 33 and turn buckles 34 Aare preferably located in close proximity to the carriage 2, whereby they will not interfere with the sprocketwheels 28 and 30, when the machine is in operation. The lower sides of the chains 31 are supported centrally of the bed 1 by rollers 36 adjustably supported in brackets 35, said chains being adapted to travel over said rollers. A conventional form of chain guard 37 is used at the forward end of the machine adjacent to the sprocket-wheels 30.

Upon the rear frame 8 contiguous to the driven shaft 26 is journaled another driven shaft 38 having a small gear-wheel 39 adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel 27 of the shaft 26. Upon the end of the shaft 38 is mounteda gear-wheel 40 adapted to mesh with a small gearwheel 41, mounted upon a shaft 42, the latter journaled upon the frame 8. The ends of the shaft 42 are provided respectively with belt pulleys 43-44-43-44, the belt pulleys 43 43 being keyed to the shaft 42, while the pulleys 44 44 are loosely mounted thereon. Belts 48 and 48 are arranged for respectively driving the tight pulleys 43 and 43 and adapted to be shifted alternately to the loose pulleys 44 and 44 and the two belts running in opposite directions.

The belt shifting mechanism employed to alternately actuate the carriage mechanism and reciprocate the carriage upon the bed l consists of rod 46 slidably mounted in brackets 45 on the frame 8. Upon the ends of the rod 46 are adjustably mounted shifter arms 47 47 adapted to embrace the belts 48 48 which travel over the pulleys, said belts being driven from a suitable source of energy. The frame 8 adjacent to the shaft 42 is provided with a bracket 49, and pivotally mounted upon said bracket is a slotted bell crank lever 50, said lever being adjustably connected to the rod 46, as at 511 Upon the frame 8 is mounted another bracket 52, the upper end of said bracket being provided with a pivoted arm 53, which is connected to the bell crank lever 50 by a curved link 54.

One of the beams 5 of the bed l. of the machine, is provided with a plurality of guide blocks 55, and slidably mounted in said blocks is an actuating bar 56, said bar `connecting with the bell crank arm 53 previously mentioned. The bar 5G is provided with an outwardly extending lever or arm 57, whereby the operator of the machine can easily and quickly shift the belts 48.

Operation- Assume that the piece of tubing 58, illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings is to be compressed into circular form, the operator of the machine moves the bar 56 to shift they belts 48, whereby the shaft 42 will v be rotated in ,one direction to move the carriage 2 to the forward end of 'the machine. The length of the tube 58 havingl been determined, a block 59 having a teat 60, is fixed in one of the grooves 16 of the die 15, whereby the end of the tube 58 can be inserted over the teat 60 to retain the end' of the tube in the groove. In placing the egg-shape tube 58 upon the die 15, the semi-cylindrical portion of the tube is adapted to fit in the grooye of the die 15, while the adjoining edges of the tube protrude upwardly to be engaged by the roller 22 of the carriage 2. The operator of the machine actuates the bar 56 to shift the belt 48 and cause the carriage 2 to travel rearwardly upon the bed l over the tube 58. It is essential that the carriage be passed over the tube twice in opposite directions, as during its first passage it imparts a'slight curvature to the tube which the second passage corrects. After the carriage 2 has traveled rearwardly and then forwardly, the tube 58 is removed, which is now in the form of the tube 61, illustrated in Fig. 8, and another tube placed upon the bed of the machine to be operated on by the carriage thereof. This operation is continuous as long as tubes are supplied to the machine, but in some instances the operation of the machine can be retarded while one tube isbeing substituted for another.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, I have illustrated a carriage 2, as being provided with two housings 19m-19u. These housings are identical in construction and similar to the housing 19. The two housings are simply employed to insure a more perfect tube being produced by the bending machine.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the die 15 can be easily and quickly adjusted to present a groove of the desired size, and the roller within the housing 19 can be replaced by a roller to correspond in size to the groove in the die 15. It is obvious that various mechanisms can be employed for rotating the shaft 42 in opposite directions, and for this reason 1 do not care to confine myself to the belt shifting mechanism employed for controlling the operation of my improved device.

As heretofore stated, 1 am aware of a machine being devised, such as illustrated in Patent No. 724,426, and it has been the object of this invention to dispense with the expensive racks thereof, and thereby secure a machine which will be more positive in its operation and 4 less expensive to manufacture.

Having fully described my invention what I claim is;-

1, A bending machine for tubes, embodying frames, parallel beams supported by said frames, a bed body mounted upon said beams and having guide-ways, said body having a groove formed therein, an adjustable grooved die mounted in said body, a block carried by said die, a reciprocating carriage slidably mounted upon said bed body, a roller journaled in said carriage and having a peripheral groove formed therein corresponding in size to one of the grooves of said die, adjustable and resilient sprocket chains eX- tending' between said frames, and connecting with said carriage, at each side thereof, means carried by one of said frames to move said chains, and means carried by one of said beams for causing the reciprocation of said carriage.

2. A bending machine for tubes embodying spaced frames, a bed body supported by said frames'and having guide-ways, a grooved die adjustably mounted in said bed, a carriage slidably mounted upon the guide-ways of said bed, a roller revolubly supported by said carriage and having a groove formed therein corresponding in size to one of the grooves of said die, adjustable and resilient chains connecting with said carriage and extending from one frame to the other, and means to move said chains in one direction, and then in the opposite direction, to reciprocate said carriage, substantially as described.

3. In a tube bending machine, a bed, a grooved die adjustably supported upon said bed, a stopbiock having an inclined face and adapted to be inserted between said die and guide Ways to support the die at any desired point upon the bed, a carriage movably disposed upon said bed,-

a roller journaled in said carriage and having a peripheral groove corresponding in size to one of the grooves of said die, means for actuating said carriage and the roller carried thereby in opposite directions over said die.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT NAYSMITH.

Witnesses MAX H. SRoLovITZ, F. 0. MCCLEARY. 

